Folding running-board rack



y 1929- A. L. CHAPMAN 1,713,520

FOLDING RUNNING BQARD RACK Filed June 8, 1928 35 31 33 31 WU k 18AZfiecZLCha mcLn BY ATTORN Patented May 21, 1929.

. umrao STATES ATENT orrics.

V i Am cnama vrorros arenas. I

' Application fled In: I,

.My invention relates to automobile accesk sories and more particularlyto a rack device for use on running-boards.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a detachable rack whichreadily may be attached to the running-boardof an automobile so as to beavailglzile hfeor'gnflding acka s travelin a t li a.

p A lider ob eci rovide a folding running-board rack whic readily may beadjusted to an erect positionfor use or may be folded so as to leave apractically clear running board.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter and while I showherewith and will. describeda preferred form of construction, I desireit to be understood that I do not confine my invention to such preferredform but that various changes and adaptations may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of my invention as hereinafterclaimed.

Referring to the drawings which accompany this specification and form apart thi reof, l f I r i 1 is a view inv perspective 0 an automobilerunning-board. having my folding rack mounted thereon, the rack being inits erect or expanded condition.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of thefolding rack shown in F ig; 1, by itself,inits folded condition. V

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one end of the folding rackshown in Fig. 2, the section being taken on line 3-3 of that figure.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the opposite end of the foldingrack from that shown in Fig. 3, and of a running-board to which it isattached.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the folding rack andrunning-board shown in Fi 4, taken on line 55 of that figure.

onsidered more in detail, the drawings will be seen to show a metalchannel 10 correspondin in length to the running-board 11, on w ich itis mounted, and having clamps 12, fixed adjacent the ends thereofadapted to grip the edges of the runningboard so as to hold channel 10flush with the outer edge thereof. The web plate 13 of channel 10 isprovided with apertures 14 through which dust and dirt, such as may workto the bottom of the channel, may drop out therefrom. The

.fill in the end of each bar 31 outer flange 15 is me an mama.

provided with a slotlfi sllg above web plate and dissent and preferablythe front and. 17 of the channel ill foot-plates 18 fastened thereto inhe with the automobile, the length. of said footates approx eqml to thewidth or! door:

19, mil

width of the running boar less that of aha-cl 10, and their- 'chmsourespondin to the outside depth of channel 10, so a between the ethanolthe doors, nsh. with the upper edges of flan es 15 and 17. Camps 12m'mh: formed of front bracket 20, fastened to odor flange 15 of channel10, said front bucket behg bent'to form an ofmt lug 21 mintherunningboard, a bolt 22 extending th 21, said bolt having a ared head28nd a collar 24 thereon, the on the outer side and the latter on theinner side of said log 21, and a camplamemary rear bracket 25, having anup-tlned lug 26 akpted to engage the inner of a running boapd me anoffset lug 27 ted to receive the screwthreaded end'28 of boltflflm shownin Fig; 5. It is obvious that by using'a wrench on head- 23 the bracketsmay be as as to hold channel 10 and foot-M18 attached to therunning-board or ma be loosened so as to permit the removal of thechannel and foot-plates therefrom.

A sliding bar 29, somewhat shorter than channel 10 and of a width to fitloosely between its flanges 15 and 17, is laid in channel 10, saidsliding bar having a series of hinge lates 30 attached to its upperside,

. in uni ormly spaced relation toeach other.

To each of said hin e plates 30 is attached a flat bar 31, ofequafiwidth with sliding bar 29 and of a length approximately equal tothe distance between said hinge plates 30, by a hinge-pin 32 and asimilar but some what shorter bar 33 is attached to the free by a hingepin 34, the other end of said bar 33 being attached to a transverse ivotpin 35 in channellO with its ends fixed in flanges 15 and 17 thereof.Hinge pins 32 and 34 being parallel to pivot pins 35, bars 31 and 33thereon, when sliding-bar 29 is shifted longitudinally, so as to swinupwardl and spread apart, as shown in ull' line in Fig. 1-,

are caused to turn oppositely inclined bars-31 and 33' are erectedacross slot 16 in frontof shank37v so as to I hold knob 36 and slidingplate 29, to which it is attached, in their expanding position isattached to outer flange as shown in F ig'. 4. The-tension of-spring37is such that it will yield and permit shank 36 to pass.

when a strong. pull on knob 35' is exerted against itto, collapse andfold the rack.

The operation of the folding rack thus constructed is evident fromthedescription' given. VVhen eXpanded,-a seriesvof pairs of adjacent theouter edge of the running board sofas to form-a; retaining rack thereon;as shown in; Figs-l; and when collapsed the running-boardis leftclearexcept for the channel 10 andfoot plates 18- which occupy but littlespace, all the rack partsibeing made I tion. 7

of comparatively thin material; -r

:1 Having thus illustrated and described my inventiomlclaimzv 1 i I.L'A' running-board rack comprising a sliding-bar adapted to bemountedadjacent the outer edge of arunning-board, so as tobeslidable,longitudinally thereon; a series I of pairs of pivotallyconnected bars, one of which .is pivotally attached to said slidingbarand the other gofwhich is pivotally at- -tached to the running-board;.means: for

shifting said sliding-bar and meansifor' llOlCl-r ing it in its shiftedposition. j V a v- 2. 'A running-board; rack comprising 7 a channeladapted to be detachablyfixed on a running-board, ad acent the -outeredge thereof a sliding-bar mounted in said channel so as to be slidablelongitudinallytherein; azseries of pairs of piyotally connected barspivotally attached tosaid slidingbar and to said channel so as to swingdownwardly into a folded position within said channelorupwardly into anerect expanded position, according as said sliding bar is shiftedforwardly or backwardly; means for shifting said sliding-bar forwardlyor backwardly and means for holding said sliding bar in its shiftedposition.

'3. A folding running-board rack comprising a channel adapted to bemounted on a running-board; clamps 1 attached .to said channel so as to;hold it on a running-board,

adjacent theouter edge thereof; a slidingbar mounted in saidchannelso as.to be slid? able longitudinally therein; a series 'ofpairsofpivotallyconnected bars, onerof which is pivotally attached. tosaid'sliding bar'and the other of which is piyotally attached to saidchannel; means for shiftingsaid sliding bar forwardly or backwardly andmeans .for holding said sliding barin its'shifted posi- 4. Incombination with an automobile running-board, a folding rack comprisinga channel mountedthereon adjacent the outer edgethereof; clamps attachedtosaid channel and adaptedto'detachably hold it in position on therunning board; a sliding-bar mounted in said channel so as to beslidible longitudinally therein; a series of pairs of pivotallyconnected bars one of which is pivotally attached to said sliding-barand theother ofwhich is pivotally attached to said channel; a-shiftingknob'attachedto said slidingbarand a retaining spring adapted to holdsaid slrdmg-banin its shifted position. a. is

- .ALFRED L. CHAPMAN.-

